Roanoke restaurant celebrates key ingredient in signature dish

Texas Tavern observes National Eat Beans Day with cheaper chile

Independence Day isn't the only holiday this week. Wednesday was National Eat Beans Day, and where better to celebrate than the Texas Tavern.

The iconic Roanoke restaurant served up a discount during lunch. Anyone who wished the staff a Happy National Eat Beans Day, received a bowl of chile for a buck.

And business was brisk.

Matt Bullington is the owner. "You know almost every day has a holiday, and beans get their holiday today," he said. "And I think tomorrow is National Caesar Salad Day, so I'll let somebody else do that since we don't have Caesar salads, but we certainly can do beans."

When the Texas Tavern celebrated its 80th birthday a couple of years ago, Bullington estimated the restaurant had served up more than 20 million bowls of chile since 1930.